Robbed of Happiness
by Anima di Cenere
Summary: In preparation for her upcoming wedding, Hinata bears witness to the shocking event that takes the lives of a few members of her family. As Konoha is sinking into anxiety and chaos, Naruto sends an urgent request for Sasuke to return. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them, someone is patiently waiting for the slowly cracking bulwark of peace to finally collapse. What are his intentions?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey guys! It's been a while, but I'm finally back to writing with some fresh ideas as well the dedication to add some spark into my old ones, but that's a story for another time.

I hereby present you my newest story, which is a product of a few sleepless nights of thinking, as well as a lot of support coming from my readers. I hope you enjoy it!

A few important warnings before you start reading it, though:

1\. This is a very slow-burn SasuHina + NaruSaku story, though it begins at the point where Naruto and Hinata are a couple, following the previous events of the canon. The main PoVs are gonna be these four characters;

2\. This is a dark story, so reader discretion is adviced. Adult matters, such as sexual relationships, murders and drugs, will be concerned;

3\. As usual, I'll try to prevent all the characters from getting OOC. They will be slowly and naturally evolving and changing, reacting accordingly to the events of the narrative, though. That being said, I'm not planning to follow any popular cliches such as, for example, Naruto being an utter idiot who can only be either happy or angry, or Sasuke being a heartless douchebag who is always evil and moody for no apparent reason, and doesn't care about anyone or anything. I will be accurately following his character the way it was portrayed in chapters 697-699 of the manga (episodes 478-479 of the anime) because I don't believe that either him or Naruto is as one-dimensioned as some think they are. Both of them are cool and complex characters who hide a lot behind their exteriors, and I'll do my best to express it all here;

4\. There will be no intentional character bashing, rest assured, although some (my personal favourites) will probably get to shine a bit more often than others;

5\. This work is an experiment of mine in which I'm going to push the updates as frequently as possible, so any reviews are very welcome as they provide a lot of support! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 1. Shatterpoint**

"Are—are you sure it is really fine, Naruto-kun? I don't want to bother Hokage-sama with this..."

"Nah, trust me! It's perfectly cool! After all, he owes me for saving his ass from granny Tsunade last month, haha!" Naruto patted Hinata's hand reassuringly, to which she smiled timidly and lowered her gaze.

"Ooh… It's just that—I don't think it is appropriate to—"

"Ugh! Look, Hinata!" He stopped, grabbing her shoulders which almost made the girl squeak in surprise, and looked deep into her eyes. His expression was now unusually serious, and so was his tone as he said, "This is our wedding, and there's nothing _inappropriate_ in us wanting for it to go perfectly, okay?"

"Yes, b-but…," She blushed, looking away. "Your responsibilities…"

"You are my big responsibility too," he gave her a gentle smile and lowered his head to give her a tender kiss on the lips. "No need to be ashamed, you know. Get used to it, haha!" He winked at her jovially and, grabbing the girl's hand, pulled her towards the stair that led to the Hokage's office.

"Yo, Kakashi-sensei!" The ninja opened the door with a strong push, storming inside. "There is something I wanna discuss with ya! You see, we—"

"Naruto… Were you ever taught to knock?" The masked ninja sighed, putting his pen away and glaring at his former student critically.

"Nah, I guess you overlooked that moment back in the years, sensei!" He smirked boldly while Hinata was eyeing her soon-to-be husband as well as the Sixth Hokage perplexedly. She looked as though she was unsure if the situation was supposed to be funny or serious.

"Most definitely, yes." Hatake sighed, leaning on the back of his seat and stretching his limbs tiredly. "So how can I help you two?"

"Oh! It's about Kiba and Shino's assignments. Could you please cancel their missions for the date? Ple-e-ease?" The blond man made a pleading gesture with his hands, but his self-assured grin easily gave his true attitude away. "It is very important to Hinata, and, well… They're kinda my friends too, you know?"

"Hm-m…" Kakashi gave him a long searching stare, his expression not revealing anything at all. "Naruto… I understand that you are excited for the upcoming event and all, but you are still a shinobi, and the same goes for every one of us too. I can't simply cancel someone's missions just because there's going to be a celebration, even if it were my own wedding. We are not royalty, and there can be no exceptions."

The younger ninja blushed, clearly looking ashamed as the words of his teacher reached him, passing through the wall of the euphoria that had been surrounding the young man lately.

"Eh… Sorry, sensei. You're right, I suppose. I kinda got too excited, it's just that… well..."

"It's okay, Naruto-kun," whispered Hinata, caressing his hand gently before looking at Kakashi. "We apologize, Hokage-sama," she added more firmly. "I told him that it's not the best idea, but—"

"I haven't finished," pointed out the man, this time making the girl close her mouth awkwardly before blushing even worse than her fiance. "Like I said, we are not royalty, and I can't make any exceptions. However… Considering how extraordinary you are as a _ninja_ , Naruto…" He scratched his chin thoughtfully, smiling behind his mask. "I'm sure you can figure something out to make them return from their assignments sooner, just to make it in time. After all, you're a sensory type just like them. Not to mention that you're the fastest shinobi alive."

For a few seconds, the Uzumaki was looking completely dumbfounded, just like Hinata who gave the Hokage a confused look at his slightly cryptic words. But then she gasped happily in the belated realization, and Naruto's lips slowly curved into an understanding smile the same moment.

"So… it's an official permission then?"

"No, it's a friendly advice. A couple days of your own vacation would be a small sacrifice in this case, don't you think?" The smirk in Kakashi's voice was barely hidden now. "Go and help them, this is your only chance. Shouldn't take a lot of time for you anyway, their mission is just B-rank."

"Roger that! Ha! Piece of cake! Thanks, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto raised his thumb up and smirked again. "Let's go, Hinata!"

"Uh… yes… Thank you, Hokage-sama!" The girl smiled at the man sheepishly before Naruto pulled her towards the exit, almost making her trip on their way.

"Oh, the young ones…" The gray-haired ninja shook his head as the door closed, grabbing his newspaper and rubbing his eyes. "I guess I can afford some rest as well for once… Shizune-san! Could you please bring me some coffee?"

Right after the conversation with the Hokage, Naruto and Hinata rushed toward the blond's old flat. Both of them were in hurry, and although the girl had her own important, clan-related business to attend, she still decided to help him prepare for the upcoming mission.

Which is why, knowing how irresponsible his approach usually was whenever it came to such situations, she only giggled as he whined, grabbing his temples:

"Gah! Please, don't even start! I'm not taking all that crap with me, period!"

"But, Naruto-kun, it's so far to the north—you might catch a cold if you don't have any warm clothes with you, and besides—"

"Oh, come on, I never get sick! Kurama can easily heal me no matter what happens!" He crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly and pursed his lips playfully when their eyes met.

"I simply care for your health, that's all."

"Ah, well, thanks, mommy! No need to care so much, though." He grimaced, and she giggled again.

" _You are my big responsibility too. So get used to it_ ," she quoted him, making the ninja roll his eyes and snort.

"Fine, fine. I guess you have a point. It's not like some snowflakes can kill me or something."

To his surprise, Hinata only frowned at his words, lowering her hands that were gripping the jumper she had made by herself.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He touched her chin lightly, attempting to meet her eyes, but this time she only backed off a bit, biting her lower lip worriedly.

"Please… be careful out there…," she nearly whispered, which made Naruto raise his brow in confusion. Of course, he couldn't simply ignore such a sudden and dramatic change of mood...

"Careful, eh? Hey, it's me, you know? Nobody can put a scratch on me, don't you know that? Well, I guess Sasuke can, but it's not like we're going to meet up, and besides, we've settled things between us long ago…" He then stopped his jabbering, noticing how her features darkened even more. "Now, now… Seriously, what's wrong? Tell me, will ya?"

She took a deep breath, hugging the jumper tightly.

"W-Well… it's just that, a few days ago…

 **-~X~-**

Hinata, Ino, Tenten and Sakura were unhurriedly walking across the newly opened mall in the middle of Konohagakure, having been visiting one store after another for hours by now. It had already made the Hyūga feel a bit tired, but she wasn't about to complain. Her friends seemed to be enjoying their humble celebration, and besides, although it was too early yet as there were two weeks left… Like Ino had said earlier, this was the only way they could have something similar to a hen-party dedicated to her upcoming wedding, considering how strict her clan, and her father, in particular, was.

"He-e-ey, girls! Come here, I found something interesting here!"

The dark haired girl snapped out of her thought, raising her head to look in the direction of the merry voice of her friend. Ino was standing next to the store that had no nameplate visible anywhere, and there was the mysterious dim crimson light coming in the farthest corner of the dark room. The place almost seemed to be uninhabited, but the way the Yamanaka was waving at the three of them clearly meant that Ino knew what she was doing.

As they all entered the small dark room, Hinata looked around curiously. There were countless oddly looking talismans, totems and relics, but none of them appeared to be for sale. And right near the source of mysterious light, which turned to be an old-looking red lamp, was a peculiar, aged woman. She was wearing numerous amulets and trinkets shining all over the ancient rag that distantly resembled a poncho of some sort, but her eyes were the weirdest thing about her. They looked just like Byakugan…! Except they couldn't be that, but rather the woman was probably blind.

Hinata shrank a bit, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in this strange place. Why had they even come here…? _Oh, Ino..._

"Ah, the young ones! Please, be my guests. Would you like some tea? You, the one keen to steel arms… I believe you would love the ginseng I have. Do you want a cup?"

"E-Eh?! How do you know? That's actually my favourite!" exclaimed Tenten loudly, to which the woman only smirked in amusement.

"I know a lot of things. Now then, you've come here to get something, is that correct? All of you."

"Yeah, the paper on your showcase says you're proficient in divination," said Ino, turning back for a moment to give her friends a confident grin before continuing, "I think it would be cool to give it a shot, wouldn't you agree, girls?"

"I guess…," mumbled Sakura incredulously, while Hinata remained silent.

Meanwhile, the woman hemmed, staring at Ino blankly with her empty white irises.

"Huh… Of course, someone capable of stealing the thoughts of others would be interested in my delicate art. And now you want to test me out. Fair enough; I hereby accept your challenge, girl…" She chuckled at the Yamanaka who frowned, putting her hands on her sides. "One of you is to get my service for free. If my prediction turns out to be correct, or rather, if you believe in it, I would appreciate if the rest of you would for it… If you want it, that is."

"Cool. Let's start," snapped Ino, rolling her eyes sceptically. Hinata then belatedly realized why had the blonde decided to drag them here. She merely intended to expose this bizarre fortune-teller!

"Very well then." The woman grabbed a deck of ebon-black cards from her table. "Kindly look directly into my eyes now."

"Fine, fine," Ino sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and doing as she was told to.

The fortune-teller shuffled the deck a few times, whispering something indistinguishable under her nose. And then she finally placed all the cards on the table in front of the girl, making a welcoming gesture with her wrinkled hand.

"Please, take three of them, and tell me what you think about it."

With an almost mocking, slightly venomous grin, the Yamanaka took the first card and turned it around, looking at its contents not without a bit of interest.

"What is there, Ino?" asked Sakura impatiently, both annoyed and curious at the same time. Apparently, just like Hinata herself, she wasn't very happy to be there, but she was also quite interested to see her friend's reaction at the same time…

Which was quite strange, because Ino suddenly frowned, biting her lip.

Hinata took a step closer, looking at the card, and then covered her own mouth with her palm reflexively. The golden lines written on the abyssal black paper formed a simple message:

 _Ace of Grief: The pain of loss shall vanish one day, but there is a long road ahead. He shall always live in your heart no matter what._

"I see what you did here, old hag," muttered Ino darkly after a brief pause. "You've come to a hidden village. Every single person here has lost someone at some point. That's quite low," deadpanned Ino, putting the card back on the table.

"If you don't find this one convincing, you have two more to pick. Maybe they will change your mind… If you want, that is," said the woman softly, as though suddenly feeling compassion for the angry Yamanaka.

"Hmpf." The blonde hesitated for a moment, but then grabbed another card nonetheless, a bit too abruptly this time. She blinked a few times, opening and closing her mouth as she read another golden line:

 _Two of Love: His inky eyes and paintings shall melt your heart, but for how long? Only time knows._

"His art… huh? Well, Sai is kind of—"

"Oh, shut up, Sakura!" Ino almost growled, putting the card back and taking the third one without an invitation this time.

 _Three of Horror: Let go of your greatest fear, or else you shall lose yourself in the future._

"Fine. I admit that one of the three makes sense" snapped Ino after staring at the card for some time before dropping it carelessly. "Just a coincidence. I'll go wait outside if you girls wanna give it a shot, but don't get your hopes too high."

The woman followed her back with a thoughtful empty stare as the blonde left the store, and then she turned to Hinata, making the kunoichi flinch as the woman uttered softly,

"Now then, the girl with blessed eyes that are similar to my own, but so different at the same time… Would you like to know what awaits you ahead?"

"Uh…" Hinata frowned, taking a step backwards. "No, thank you very much, but I—I—"

"Oh, come on, Hinata! Let us all do it, okay? Go for it, just out of curiosity! It's gonna be fun!" said Sakura, giving the Hyūga a light push on the back.

"Um… alright, I guess…" She sighed, clenching her fists reluctantly.

The woman smiled at her reassuringly, shuffling the deck once again.

"Please, be my guest. Take one."

Hinata looked at the narrow line of cards lying in front of her, hesitantly reaching out to take the first one.

 _Ace of Passion: His flame shall ignite your soul in its midnight, letting it shine once more, brighter than ever!_

"Aww, that's so romantic! I envy you, Hinata! Looks like Naruto is going to be a good husband!" Tenten smirked teasingly, and Sakura chuckled as well.

The white-eyed girl blushed horribly, hearing the giggles coming from behind her back, and then accidentally dropped the piece of black paper on the floor. She squeaked, quickly picking it up and putting it back on the table.

"No need to feel embarrassed, young one," the fortune-teller smiled again. "You have two more to take. Your call," she added.

Pursing her lips and collecting her resolve, Hinata reached out and carefully took another card.

 _Three of Death: The hardest trial of your life has yet to come, just like the strongest pain you shall have ever felt._

The white eyes widened at the neatly written words, and she slowly put the card back. What was the meaning of this…? Assuming that these predictions were true, which was very dubious, but still… What was going to happen to her?

Whatever it would be, Hinata was sure that she didn't like it. Sunken deep in her thought and consumed by the sudden tide of anxiety, she took the third card, accompanied by the oppressive silence in the room as everyone was watching her now. And just as she was about to turn it around to see what was written there…

"Hinata-sama!"

She flinched, lowering the hand which was gripping the card, and turned towards the entrance of the room, followed by Sakura and Tenten the next moment.

"Kō-san...? Uh… Is something the matter?"

"Yes, Hinata-sama! I'm afraid so! Hiashi-sama is urgently summoning you to the mansion. It's just that—Uzumaki Naruto, he is—"

 _Oh, no…_ She bit her lip, suppressing an embarrassed smile, and shook her head. Apparently, her father and Naruto had just had another fight…

"Please, hurry up! I'm afraid it might end badly!" pleaded her former babysitter. "I'll pay for you here, don't worry!"

"Uh… of course." Hinata quickly nodded and rushed towards the door. A bit dazed by everything that had just happened, she unconsciously put the remaining card into the pocket of her jacket, instantly forgetting about its existence...

 **-~X~-**

"Huh? And... so? That's it? Are you seriously afraid of some crazy old fraud's trickery? Oh, come on!" Naruto hugged her tightly, and the warmth of his body instantly made her feel a lot better, her own arms wrapping around his torso hesitantly as well. She had expected such a reaction from him, of course, but still…

"I—I just worry, that's all… I don't want to lose you," she whispered, feeling the unwanted tears coming to her eyes.

"You'll never lose me, silly!" He smiled, caressing her hair softly. "Like I said, nothing can possibly happen to me. Like, it's a fact, you know? Not just empty words."

"I know…," she said quietly, backing off and looking into his eyes. "I love you, Naruto-kun."

"I love you too!" He smirked, letting go of her and then glancing at the clock on the wall. "Oww, I think I'm already out of the schedule! I'll be back before you begin to miss me, you'll see! Until then!" He winked at her playfully and then…

Disappeared.

"Wait, Naruto-kun…!" she yelped, bowing down to grab his backpack from the floor. "You forgot… the clothes…"

Of course, the only response she received was the complete silence of the room, broken only by the measured ticking of the clock hands.

The girl sighed in defeat, putting the backpack on his bed carefully, and then sitting right next to it.

Objectively, Naruto was right. There was absolutely no reason for her to worry about him. He was the strongest ninja alive after all. And not only that, but their world was currently relatively peaceful… And besides, that fortune-teller was most likely a fraud indeed, just like Ino had anticipated. Now that Hinata thought about it, she was probably from Sunagakure judging by her looks. And the Sand was widely known for their tricky magicians and other mischievous people…

She kept thinking about various things for some time until her eyes stopped on the clock at some point. Hinata blinked, baffled for a moment, and then paled as she realized what time was that.

Almost noon already! And she had to be at the ceremony back in the Hyūga estate… in five minutes!

The kunoichi jumped up, zipping her light grey jacket and straightening the light lavender skirt she was wearing before quickly running outside and storming towards her home. Hanabi wouldn't forgive her if she would come late, that's for sure… Not on the day when she was to be officially announced the next head of the Hyūga clan…!

Realizing that Naruto's place was located pretty far away from her destination, Hinata ran up the nearest wall, keeping moving in the right direction by jumping from one rooftop to another steadily for some time.

 _Yes, there it is!_ She smiled to herself, spotting the familiar gates a few hundred yards away. The procession accompanying the current leader — their father — as well his heir, was only nearing the territory of the estate. Fortunately, that old custom gave her plenty of time to get back to her room and even change into something more appropriate… Although she was about to formally stop being a part of her clan, Hinata still respected her family and its traditions very much, and she didn't want to upset anybody with her carelessness.

As she felt her mood getting better at the involuntary reminder of the upcoming wedding, Hinata's smile became even more bright.

 _There it is… Home. I wonder if I'll still be able to call it so afterwards,_ she thought distantly, jumping over the fencing that surrounded their estate.

And just when she was already mid-air, a horribly loud explosion deafened the kunoichi, the shockwave hitting and stunning her the same moment, changing her trajectory and making the girl fall painfully on the cobblestone ground.

She didn't know how much time had passed by the time when she finally opened her eyes, coughing and slowly getting up. There was no sound breaking in her ears, and she couldn't see anyone around as she was currently in the backyard, but even so, did she realize that something horrible had just happened.

Rubbing her eyes in an attempt to focus her vision and activating her Byakugan the next moment, the kunoichi looked around herself. And then gasped as she noticed something that made the blood in her veins freeze the same second.

The procession… It was gone. Instead, there was only debris and countless flinders… as well as a few corpses in the middle of it.

 _No..._

Later on, she wouldn't remember how her legs brought her to the remains of the exploded coach. Everything else around was just too blurry to recognize when she found herself on her knees, holding the still warm body of Hanabi who was blindly staring into the bright blue sky, her peaceful face being the only part of her that hadn't been badly damaged.

And their father… there wasn't even a sign of him aside from the blood-stained shreds of his burned kimono showing from under a huge piece of wood.

Hinata clenched the body of her sister ever so tightly, far too shocked to even shed a tear, let alone to try to do something. Besides, she knew that even if she tried to, it would be completely futile.

Because they were gone. Hanabi… Her father… and a few others… were no more.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Woah, thank you all for the review and support, guys! Really appreciate it. Also, shout out to my good old hater, I see you still stalk me as persistently as ever :)

To all those who are concerned about my other two major stories — I assure you that there is nothing to worry about. The sole fact that I haven't updated them in some time doesn't mean that they're abandoned. It only means that I have a reason not to continue them right away. It can be due to many reasons, starting with my whim and ending with me just being unsure if I'm in the right mood to keep up with the flow and the atmosphere of the particular story. Pretty sure you wouldn't want to read something that would seem strongly out of the place and would ruin all the vibes for you, don't you guys think?

And to that particular person who complained about not wanting to invest their time into reading my stuff — I never asked you to do that in the first place, neither of us has any obligations here, buddy :P You read stuff for your own amusement, I write it for the same exact reason.

Enjoy! And please, don't forget to review! ^^

 **Chapter 2. The Heir**

" _This is horrible… I heard that Hiashi-sama was murdered right in the middle of the village…!"_

Her face remained blank.

" _I was sure that this place is not where some terrorists can enter easily…"_

Her eyes expressed nothing at all.

" _Then who is the real culprit?"_

She didn't look away from the path ahead of her.

" _My, my… It seems we live in such a dangerous time, and here I thought it was the opposite…"_

Neither literally, nor metaphorically.

" _Yes, the very thought of investigating this scares me. Who knows what they might find in the end…"_

Nothing.

" _And on top of that, his little daughter, the heir to the clan…"_

She gritted her teeth and blinked.

" _Yes, but his other daughter, the older one… The girl seems to be holding well, I never thought she had such remarkable strength in her."_

Was she? Did she?

" _True, but she has no standing anymore. With Hiashi-sama and the other Hyūgas gone, she's the last from the main branch, isn't she?"_

She lowered her eyes. She definitely felt so... _  
_  
" _Aye, I think so… Naruto-sama is the only one who could support her right now, but where is he?"_

She flinched, and her lips twitched for a moment. Where was he indeed...?

" _No idea…"_

This was absolutely maddening. All these worried and scared stares, all the whispers, the endless waves of ridiculous rumours...

Hinata closed her eyes for a second, her face almost instantly returning to the previous expression of nothing. These constant whispers, wherever she went… Perhaps, they were even more unnerving and painful than everything these days. When she was alone, when nobody paid any attention to her — the way it had always been before — she could just lock up inside her mind and stop feeling anything at all.

For the first few days, that's what she had been doing, and it had worked… for a while. The initial shock hadn't lasted too long, but the girl still had taken some time to spend locked inside her room. Although there was no real point in locking up because the only person who had ever broken in without invitation was Hanabi…

Hanabi. Her beloved little sister. Strangely, it was relatively easy to accept the fact that she was gone. That alone wasn't that painful — after all, Hinata knew the nature of the world they lived in. Neji had died, and it was anything but fair. But there was no _fair_. Not for them, not for the ninjas. That's why the deaths of _them_ weren't something she would honestly call completely… uncontemplated. It was sudden, it was impossibly cruel, it was impossible to describe how much pain had it caused to her, but at the same time, she had always known this could happen any moment.

Because they were ninjas. They always walked on the edge of a very sharp and thin blade, and only so few could afford to brag about having lived up to their first grey hairs.

She coughed, wrapping her black kimono more tightly and, once again, returning her gaze to the road.

Maybe she was only trying to find an excuse for this terrible whim of fate, or, perhaps, she was still not quite over the initial shock after all… However, that's how she felt at the moment anyway. As strange, and maybe even shameful, as it seemed, she simply didn't have any time for mourning. Ironic, isn't it? Someone like her, who had never been good enough to be a very busy kunoichi, and mostly had used to spend her time daydreaming and doing nothing useful, was now probably the busiest person in the whole village. Aside from maybe the Hokage, of course, but that man was always impossibly busy, and besides, he was helping her too. Like he hadn't any more important things to care for… Well, maybe there actually weren't, considering how troubled everyone in the village seemed ever since that day.

The Hyūga took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes. She couldn't remember when was the last time she had slept, but sleep was an impossible luxury the kunoichi simply couldn't afford. Not that she wanted any luxuries at the moment at all, of course… Although maybe the eternal sleep would be one, even that was too much to ask. She realized that committing suicide was not an option, at least not anymore, no matter what.

Because as ridiculous and impossible it sounded, her entire clan's existence depended on her now.

She walked through the wooden gates, not even noticing the two guards who gave her compassionate and worried glances as she passed by them. The ceremony… She had to attend it. It was the most important thing at the moment, and the rest would come afterwards.

Hinata blinked again, realizing that she was standing right next to the ceremonial altar, surrounded by a few dozens of her clansmen, having been spacing out for some time by now. Each and every single one of the people around her was now looking up to the kunoichi, expecting her to…

"Are you ready, Hinata?" Whispered Hayumi — an elder, one of the few remaining survivors of the main house. She was a very old woman who had always treated her nicely, even when everyone else viewed her as a failure and a disgrace back in the years.

Oh, just how much did she want to return to those times right now…

"Yes, Hayumi-sama," said the kunoichi firmly, walking up the few steps that led to the altar, and turning around to face everyone in the hall.

"Greetings, my dear brothers and sisters," said the raspy male voice from behind her back. "We have gathered here for the traditional announcement of the new head of our glorious clan. This custom takes its origins in…"

She didn't blink as he kept talking, but Hinata was simply unable to focus on his words in her current state. She knew that everyone in the hall realized that it was probably not really necessary considering the circumstances they were all in. After all, the previous great war had already taken way too many lives of the Hyūga, and the most recent blow only made it worse, to say the least. Still, so long as their clan remained in existence, all the traditions had to be respected no matter what.

 _So long as it existed…_

"Do you, Hyūga Hinata, the eldest daughter of late Hyūga Hiashi, swear that starting from this moment and until your last breath, your life will be dedicated to security and well-being of your clan?"

"Yes, I do."

With someone like her leading them, she realized that it wasn't just a figure of speech. At this rate, it wouldn't take long for them to follow the Uchiha on the road to extinction. Well, they weren't quite extinct yet; after all, Uchiha Sasuke was still alive…

For a brief moment, she wondered how that man felt after everything that had happened to his family. Perhaps, for the first time, she could somewhat relate to his bitterness… In a way. She had never liked him because of this exact trait, but now… Hinata understood Naruto's friend a tad better, or so she believed anyway.

 _Naruto-kun…_

Her heart began beating a little faster. Where was he…? It had been a few days, but he still hadn't returned. Had something happened to him too? No… Most likely not. Well, or so she hoped. And yet, the fact that he wasn't there at the moment… It was especially painful, no matter what reasons were keeping them away right now.

Because she wasn't even able to say goodbye…

"Do you, Hyūga Hinata, swear that you will sacrifice your own mundane wishes and aspirations for the sake of the lives of your people, now and forever?

"Yes, I do."

Their wedding… It wasn't going to happen anymore. She would never be able to become Naruto's wife. She would never be able to give birth to his children. She would never be able to give him her love, nor to receive his own… Not anymore.

Was he already aware of what had happened? Was that why he hadn't shown up yet? No… It was just too unlike him, she was sure. The Naruto she knew would do everything to support her, and the village, had he known.

But, then… How was she supposed to look into his eyes when he would come back? How was she supposed to tell him…? Hinata was unsure if she would be able to even spell it. That their happiness was ruined, just like her own life…

"Do you, Hyūga Hinata, accept the position of the head willingly, and do you possess the courage, the dedication and the compassion to lead us all into the bright future?"

She hesitated for a split second. Of course, she possessed none of these qualities. Of course, she didn't want to lead them. Of course, she would _never_ see whatever was to come as 'bright' future.

However, she had no choice. It was her sacred duty now that her father and Hanabi were gone. That's why…

"Yes. I do."

She felt the ancient ceremonial mantle being softly draped over her shoulders, and then the entire hall bowed down to greet their new head. And then she somehow managed to squeeze out the slightest smile as she met the eyes of her people, now as their rightful leader. The eyes full of hope, compassion and faith… She had no right to fail them.

All of this was happening way too fast. Too sudden. Too relentlessly.

But then again, that's how death usually happened, wasn't it…?

 **-~X~-**

"We have to do something! I mean, come on, he doesn't even know yet!"

"No, Ino, you don't understand…" Sakura sighed, thoughtfully biting the tip of her pen and lightly swaying in the chair in her office in the hospital of Konoha. "You just don't know Naruto as good as Sasuke-kun and I. We can't notify him yet."

"Why the hell not?!" The blonde slammed her hands on her desk in anger, making Sakura flinch and shamefully look away.

"As painful as it is for me to say… It is because of who he is. You can see it all, what's going on in the village ever since the incident… If Naruto finds out, he'll feel horrible, and it would put both his mission and himself at risk."

"Yes, but—!"

"Look, do you think I'm enjoying this situation?" the pink haired kunoichi finally raised her voice and frowned, meeting the turquoise eyes of her best friend. "Whatever kept him there longer than necessary must be important enough because it's Naruto we're talking about. With his power and his shadow clones, he'd be able to complete a regular mission like that in a matter of few hours… normally. And yet it's been a few days, but he's not back yet. Why do you think is that?"

They kept staring angrily into each other's eyes for a while before Ino finally looked away, sighing.

"Yea, I guess you have a point after all… He's a dumbass, but he should be able to figure out what this situation means to both the village and Hinata… As well as their relationship…" She sat on the table, locking her hands in front of herself and pursing her lips. "You're right. Sorry."

"Y-Yeah…" Sakura sighed as well, looking away. This was a disaster, frankly… She wasn't sure how her teammate would take this news, but the medic-nin was sure that her friend was strong and wise enough to get over it… eventually.

Hinata, on the other hand…

"Have you talked to her recently? I haven't seen her since that day… Too much work here, I guess," she mumbled, as though excusing her own reluctance when it came to paying their dark-haired friend a visit. In truth, she was simply afraid to see the girl all of them had always known as the kindest, the most cheerful and compassionate one now that she probably was…

Whatever it would be, Sakura was afraid, to her own great shame. It brought back some very bad memories… The memories of the war and its aftermath, and so many crippled souls around… The people who would never be the same again.

And now Hinata too…

"I saw her earlier today, yea. I decided not to approach her, though," muttered Ino, instantly making Sakura realize that she wasn't the only one having those complicated feelings regarding the situation.

For a while, both of them remained silent, each in their own thought.

"I know that it seems like we're just postponing the inevitable, but... I really don't think that this is the case," finally uttered Sakura softly, looking at her friend somewhat perplexedly. "I guess we got a bit rusty ever since the war... Should've known that peace and tranquillity can't last forever. But that's how it is, and we can't help it, so... The least we can do about it is to do what's best for the village."

Ino chuckled, eyeing her a bit sceptically.

"I think I missed the moment when you became so responsible and mature, forehead."

Sakura's features relaxed just a little bit, as she smiled in response, putting the pen down.

"Years of serving under Tsunade-sama will do that. Besides... We kinda don't have a choice, don't you think? We're not children anymore, so we can't just look up to the older generation. We're already becoming said generations ourselves."

The Yamanaka rolled her eyes and snorted.

"That's one way of subtly calling me old. I'm offended."

The medic-nin giggled quietly, getting up and grabbing a ring with keys.

"I think I'm done for today. Let's go get something to eat, I need some relief."

"Oh, no! I'm not drinking with you again. Not after the last time!"

Sakura blushed, instantly remembering Ino's last birthday party.

"T-That's now what I meant at all, Ino-pig...!"

"Sure, sure... Fine, let's go. I think Tenten should be free by now, so let's pick her up as well."

The other kunoichi sighed and shook her head.

"Whatever... You'll end up blaming me anyway, as always."

"That's what friends are for!"

 **-~X~-**

"Oy, Naruto! Slow down, damn you! Or at least make some more clones to carry these brats, they are — ugh! — scratching! And pitching! Oww!" The brown haired boy groaned as the little girl he had put on his shoulders laughed sonorously as he tried to grab his ear.

"Calm down, Kiba. We are pretty close anyway, shouldn't take us longer than a few minutes," reasoned Shino who was in a similar situation, although his own passenger was peacefully sleeping, having leant his head on his cape and using it as a pillow.

"Oh yeah? Definitely doesn't feel like we're _any_ close! Gah!"

"Well, to be fair, had Naruto not come, it would take us a lot more than a couple days to return with all of these kids."

"Hmpf! I almost regret having saved them now."

"Come on...," drawled Shino, giving him an incredulous stare. "You really don't."

Kiba looked away, making a pause before replying,

"True, I guess. That was horrible if you ask me. Keeping children as their slaves... I'm actually glad Naruto was sent to help us. Considering how many of them were there, I don't think we'd be able to slay all of these fuckers."

"Language, Kiba...," Shino sighed, looking at the nape of Naruto who was jumping from one tree to another right head of them, his clones carrying a good dozen of children behind them as well. "You're right, though. At least now Suna may rest assured that there is one less problem to deal with. Kazekage is losing his grasp over the country, it seems."

"Aye, what's up with Gaara, actually? I was sure he was doing well prior to the war, but nowadays it doesn't seem like everything's fine on that end... Eh, Naruto?" He frowned as the blond didn't respond again, keeping moving forward silently. "Earth to Naruto? Hey, man? Are you alright?"

The Uzumaki flinched, glancing at him over his shoulder.

"Huh? Did you say something, Kiba?"

The Inuzuka's brow arched as exchanged similarly worried glances with Shino after they had studied his friend's expression.

"Ah, actually, nevermind that. What's going on, Naruto? You were so full of energy just an hour ago, and now you look like you're about to puke. Did you eat something you weren't supposed to eat?"

"Nah... nothing like that," muttered the jinchūriki, looking away from them again. "It's just that I feel like something happened back in the village... And Kurama can sense it too."

"What?" Shino frowned, and so did his teammate. "Are we under attack?"

"No... not that either," Naruto shook his head slowly, narrowing his eyes. "I sense something dark, kinda. It's not intense like it would be in a battle, but still... big enough to affect many people at once. They're afraid... and confused."

"Well, that's bad news," said Kiba quietly. "All the more reasons to hurry up! Come on, guys!"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Naruto, although there was no usual spark in his voice at the moment.

Because as strange as it was, he could feel this fear that seemed to possess everyone in the village right now creeping into his own heart. Or maybe it was just his own fear, but still... He didn't like it at all.

They landed on the road, finally seeing the main gates of Konoha right ahead of them.

All of sudden, he felt like he was going to face something worse than Madara, Kaguya and Toneri put together. But, he was Uzumaki Naruto. He would never run away from danger, whatever it was.

And besides, he needed to see Hinata as soon as possible. He had promised to return a lot earlier, and he hated breaking his promises. Now he had to make up for it no matter what!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you all for the reviews! As promised, I'm working with the fastest pace I can. Here is another update for y'all, hope you enjoy it :)

Also, to my old readers who decided to give this story a chance — don't fret, there is something really good and long awaited is coming for you in the nearest few days, if you know what I mean. ;P

 **Chapter 3. The Aloof Ones**

"What the hell do you mean you won't let us in? Huh? Is this some stupid joke?!" Naruto almost growled, clenching his fists under the impassive gazes of the guards dressed in ceremonial kimono.

"I'm sorry, but we were given the direct order not to let anybody in aside from Hokage-sama and the heads of other clans. I'm really sorry, Naruto-san, but we can't allow any you to get past this line."

"We just want to see Hinata and talk to her! Jeez! I mean, I get it that you wanna ensure the security of your place no matter what considering what just happened, but come one! This is the future Hokage right here, and you know damn well who we are!" exclaimed Kiba angrily, pointing at Shino who was standing next to him silently with his hands hidden in the pockets of his coat.

"We understand your feelings, Inuzuka-san, but it can't be helped. As much as I want to—," the Hyūga cautiously looked around and lowered his voice, leaning toward him, "...as much as, I believe, it would benefit Hinata-sama at her current state, I can't break the order. I'm truly sorry. I also realize that Naruto-san could easily break in, but please, consider the possible consequences. That would be a huge violation of law, especially under current circumstances."

Kiba's cheeks reddened as the words of the guardian only made him even more enraged.

"And who the hell gave you this order anyway?! We—" But, just as he was about to blurt out something else, Naruto's hand landed on his shoulder, making him flinch and look at his friend incredulously.

"Old man Hiashi is gone, Kiba… And so is Hanabi-chan. The only person who could've given such order is Hinata herself. Is that right?" The unusually serious blue eyes met the white ones, and the older ninja nodded curtly in response.

"Yes. Like I said, we can't disobey even if we wanted to. I'm afraid she doesn't want to see anybody at the moment… not even you, Naruto-san. Sorry, I understand that this is not something you'd like to hear, but I can't help it."

All of them remained mute for some time, each in their own thought. The oppressive silence was only broken by Akamaru's plaintive whining, as though the dog actually understood what was happening.

"I see," finally uttered Naruto, turning around. "Please, as soon as you can, tell her that we're back to the village. And… no, actually, don't tell her anything," he corrected himself then, staring at the ground.

"What? Naruto, she has to know she's not alone in this…" Shino frowned.

"If she wanted to see any of us, she would've told these guys to make an exception and let us in. Besides, her Byakugan allows her to see everything within the village and far beyond. If she feels like she wants to talk to one of us, she'll find us instantly, you know. No reason to bother her and make her feel even more bad, knowing that we wanted to see her when she doesn't want to see anybody. Well, you know her." The blond ninja shrugged, beginning to stride away from the Hyūga mansion. "Like I said, don't tell her anything, pals. See ya. Kiba, Shino, can you please report to Hokage-sama about the mission and everything? I got some stuff to do."

"Sure, man. It wasn't your mission anyway."

"Aye, so long."

Naruto jumped up to the top of the nearest building. As the pleasant evening wind caressed his face and hair, he tapped into the Kyūbi's chakra, instantly beginning to feel the emotions of everyone in the village. For the most part, there was nothing unexpected. Everyone was still a bit worried and anxious, but there was no panic… nothing like that. Of course, the previous atmosphere of the peaceful bliss was gone now. He had suspected that it would eventually diminish anyway — after all, the happy aftermath of the Great War couldn't last forever. And yet… this was a bit too soon for his liking.

But, of course, no matter how unfortunate and sad was it to see, or rather feel the village being back to its former pre-war state, right now it wasn't his biggest concern.

The ninja pursed his lips, his face becoming visibly tensed.

 **"You're getting rusty, Naruto. She's just a few yards away, and yet you're finding it so hard to sense her? Hmpf,"** murmured Kurama in his head, sounding grouchy, but obviously trying hard to hide his own concern.

"Yeah… it's strange. Seems like she's already asleep, but even for someone who's sleeping, she's surprisingly calm," muttered Naruto under his nose, opening his eyes and looking at the window of Hinata's bedroom.

Of course, there was no light coming from it, and the curtain was tightly shut.

 **"Well, when that brat Neji died, she managed to remain pretty cool too. So much that she managed to force you to pull your head out of your ass. Your girlfriend is a tough one, that's for sure."** The fox smirked.

Naruto smiled for the first time since the moment he had returned, but the smile quickly vanished, once again replaced with a gloomy expression.

"I guess, but still… I just feel that something's not quite alright. You can feel it too, isn't that right?" asked the jinchūriki, his eyes still fixated on the dark window.

 **"Sort of, I suppose… But it's not completely unfamiliar,"** almost uttered Kurama, sounding unusually thoughtful and soft.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto blinked, surprised by his partner's sudden change of attitude.

 **"Well, this kind of cold resolve, as well as an attempt to lock all the negative emotions deep inside, only to feel nothing at all… Doesn't it sound familiar to you, Naruto? I'm sure you're not that dense."**

The ninja lowered his eyes, finally getting the reference.

"Sasuke…"

Now that he thought about it, Kurama was right. For as long as he could remember his friend, this was his way of withstanding the pain of loss ever since his clan had been wiped out. The Uchiha preferred to suppress any emotions or feelings in order to feel nothing… And only a few people who actually knew him realized what kind of hell was always raging behind this exterior wall.

 **"Indeed. I guess now I know why you like her so much. They're both to your taste."**

"Very funny… Haha," muttered the shinobi without a sign of joy in his voice.

 **"Not my fault. Your idiocy is contagious, and so is your horrid sense of humour. Anyway, snap out of it already. This is unlike you to be a piece of depressed shit, brat. The Naruto I know would go and do something instead of sitting here like some sort of a melancholic princess."**

"Melan- what…?"

 **"Get your ass up and start thinking on a plan! I'm gonna take a nap, and I expect you to be back to normal by the time I wake up, or else I'll kill you. Bye."**

Naruto let out a heavy sigh and then smirked, shaking his head. Throughout the last few years, the bond he had with his tailed beast had only grown stronger. Now he could truly call Kurama his friend… and he knew that it was mutual. And although the ninja never viewed it this way, one could find it ironic. Considering that, just like Sasuke had once said, his loneliness had been his biggest weakness back in the years, he was never alone nowadays… Never.

"Alrighty then… He's right. I gotta do something, but the question is… what to do?"

His stomach grumbled angrily, instantly reminding the ninja that the last time he'd had a decent meal was back in Sunagakure.

"Well, first things first, I guess…"

He jumped off the roof and then began walking towards Ichiraku Ramen. Although he realized that this wasn't the best time to enjoy his favourite food, he also knew that he could never think straight when he was hungry. And besides, Hinata definitely wouldn't want him to be depressed as well in this situation. If anything, he had to stay strong for her, as well as the other people he loved, no matter what.

It was also a part of his ninja way.

 **-~X~-**

"Well, damn… She chose a weird time to finally begin dating someone, that's for sure," deadpanned Ino as she and Sakura were walking away from Tenten's closed store.

"I know, right? And on top of that, it's Lee of all people… I never thought there was actually something between them!" said Sakura, looking equally as stunned by the news.

"There wasn't, but I guess now there is, huh! All the more reasons to be happy in these crappy days," Ino snorted and looked away.

Unsure if her friend was serious or sarcastic, Sakura smiled a bit awkwardly, deciding to change the topic.

"Speaking of these days… As the head of your clan, your mom is in charge of the investigation, isn't she?" The pink haired kunoichi lowered her voice just in case, although there was little to no one around them, so the probability of being overheard was close to nonexistent. "Have they found something yet? Any clue at all?"

Ino's expression didn't change, but her eyes softened a bit as she hemmed before replying quietly,

"No idea, honestly. I'm not a part of this investigation, and it is top secret. But it's fairly obvious that this case is gonna be a very dirty one. Poor Hinata..."

"Eh? How come?" Sakura blinked, confused by the blonde's sudden seriousness as well as the unusual depth of her words.

"Well, think about it. What we know for a fact is that someone either placed a few explosive tags in their carriage or had an explosive tag on his body. Regardless, the biggest problem here is the fact that they — whoever the culprit is — managed to pull it with a shit ton of Hyūgas around." She paused, as though letting the medic-nin finish the logical chain by herself.

"Hm… Shouldn't they have checked everything with their Byakugan? I mean, the Hyūga are known to be very pedantic, even ridiculously so when it comes to their security."

Ino hemmed knowingly again and grinned darkly, the shade of worry not leaving her eyes as she replied,

"Bingo. Considering what you just mentioned, it's very hard to believe that they were careless enough not to check everything before even entering the carriage. Especially knowing how important was the ceremony they were heading to. Which could only mean that—"

"That it was an inside job..." Sakura gasped, and her jade eyes widened in fear when Ino nodded curtly to confirm her conclusion. "But… does it mean that some of them deliberately did that? Why? And who?"

"You're asking the wrong person, forehead," Ino sighed tiredly, wincing a little as she felt a few drops of the beginning rain landing on her skin. "Shikamaru thinks so as well, though. Like I said, everything about this case is top secret, so we can only be guessing this and that, but… Me and him, we have agreed that the best idea for starters would be to interrogate those who were responsible for security on that day."

Sakura frowned.

"Yes, that seems like a good idea… No, actually, like the only logical idea. But, it's not that simple, is it? Otherwise, they'd already have caught whoever did this."

"No shit… I can only assume that it's either that they've found nothing, which either makes it a lot more complicated case than we think or means that the responsible guy died in the explosion as well. We—"

"Naruto…?" murmured Sakura, interrupting the other kunoichi and looking at the end of the street.

"Huh? What does he have to do with—oh," Ino stopped, also noticing the blond ninja entering Ichiraku Ramen. "Go to him."

"Huh?" Sakura gave her a slightly baffled glance.

"Gosh, forehead, don't be so dense! Do you seriously think that the first place he'd go to as soon as he would have returned would be some eatery rather than Hinata's home? He clearly already knows what happened, and he needs the support of someone close. Sasuke is away as always, so you're the only person who can comfort him right now."

The medic-nin frowned and blushed a bit, desperately suppressing a silly smile.

"When did you become so shrewd, Ino-pig?"

"I've always been, it's just that you were not intelligent enough to appreciate my wisdom." The blonde winked at her, turning towards her family's flower shop. "See ya."

"Um… yes," muttered Sakura, returning her slightly perplexed gaze to the ramen stand in the distance. "See you later."

What would she say to him…? Would he even want to see her at the moment? Of course, she hadn't been able to see his face from this distance. But, knowing the Uzumaki, the girl was pretty sure that he was not quite okay right now… Even if he would pretend that everything was fine.

But then she shook her head and frowned, vigorously striding forward. Sakura had never been a coward, and she definitely wasn't about to try being one. Especially not when her friend needed her. After all, Ino was right.

The worst thing that could happen to Naruto right now would be staying in solitude full of pointless reflection and misery.

 **-~X~-**

"Yo, Ayame-chan! Wassup?"

"Hey, Naruto-kun! Not much, what about — oh, sorry," she gave him an apologetic smile which made the ninja frown a bit. Of course, he had expected everyone to know about the incident by now, but the way Ayame looked at him was… almost as though she knew something he was not aware of.

And he didn't quite like it.

"Fine, I guess. Aside from that thing, how have things been here in the village?" asked the Uzumaki, squeezing out a polite, but barely cheerful smile.

"Oh… Well, okay-ish, I guess," she shrugged, scratching her chin. "Dad caught a cold, so I've been replacing him here full-time for the last couple days. The weather has also been so-so, but other than that it's pretty much normal. If only a bit more grim than before."

"I see," he nodded, settling on the seat in the right corner. "Make me my favourite, alright?"

"Shall I cook a double portion right away?" she smirked, but he only shook his head, staring at the table in front of him blankly.

"Nah, just one is fine." After all, he didn't feel _that_ hungry.

"Roger that!" She nodded at her only visitor before heading to the kitchen.

As he was about to sink back into his gloomy thought, Naruto flinched and almost yelped in surprise when he felt someone's hands wrapping around him tightly from behind, hugging him gently, but at the same time almost making him fall off the seat.

"Naruto! You're back! Finally… I'm so glad to see you!"

He coughed. "Sakura… ugh… please, let me go…! You're gonna strangle me…"

"Oh… Sorry!" The girl lowered her hands, blushing behind his back. "It's just that — we all really missed you. You already know what happened, don't you?" she asked softly, sitting next to him.

"Yeah… Though I kinda feel like I don't know quite _everything_. Or maybe it's just that I don't _understand_ everything yet," he murmured, avoiding her eyes for the reason he didn't realize himself.

"Well, then you're not the only one," she smiled at him, looking at his sullen face compassionately. "To be honest, nobody quite understands how it happened and who to blame for it, and that's what makes things even more confusing and frightening for everyone. Not to mention that we can only guess what's going to happen subsequently."

"Indeed," he muttered briefly, still not looking at her, which made Sakura frown again. Clearly, she didn't like seeing her friend in such a rarely dark state… But Naruto realized that he simply couldn't pretend like everything was as good as always.

"Look, Naruto…," she rubbed the back of his hand softly, finally making the ninja raise his head and look into her eyes with slight confusion. "Please, believe me, I understand what you're feeling right now. I felt the same way for Sasuke-kun back in the years… When you know that someone you love is in pain, and you realize that you cannot help them... Sometimes it's a lot worse than being in pain yourself. But, sometimes there is nothing we can do to help them. Sometimes it's a challenge they want and will face only by themselves... alone."

He looked away again, though not pulling his hand away when hers clenched around it hesitantly.

"She doesn't want to see me," he finally murmured after a few seconds of silence. "She ordered her guards not to let anybody in. Not even me." Strangely, he sounded so hurt that the Haruno instantly felt the urge to hug him again, just to comfort the ninja, like she would do to a helpless, ill child.

"Well… That's exactly what I mean," she leaned a bit more toward him, putting her other palm on his hand she was still holding. "She wants to deal with this pain on her own, just like Sasuke-kun did in the past, remember? Eventually, she'll talk to you… and us all… when she's ready, that is. Do not push this, or else you will only end up hurting her even more. Trust me, I learned it the hard way," she grinned a bit, noticing the familiar spark finally returning to his eyes.

"I guess you're right… It's just that, I can't stand sitting still and doing nothing when she's there all alone, dealing with all this crap on her own…!"

"Well, you have to. This is a trial for you as well. Besides, it's not like you can't help her at all; pretty sure we can figure something out and help the investigation at the very least. As the future Hokage, wouldn't you want to do just that? Not only for Hinata, but for the sake of the village too."

His eyes widened, and he genuinely smiled for the first time during their conversation.

"Damn, you're right! Thanks, Sakura-chan! And when did you become so smart and caring?"

She chuckled.

"I've always been, dumbass! It's just that you never appreciated it," the girl smiled, quoting her friend, although right now both the teammates realized that it wasn't quite correct.

They had simply grown up, and that was the true answer to those questions. Their childhood was long over by now, and all of them had to accept it.

"Speaking of investigating stuff," said Naruto after some time, nodding thankfully to Ayame who placed the bowl in front of him and then tactfully retired after Sakura had refused to make an order. "Looks like that won't be easy, eh? The Hyūgas don't let anybody in, only heads of clans and Kakashi-sensei."

The girl took a deep breath before putting her elbows on the table and leaning her chin on her palms.

"That's true… Ino told me it's most likely a lot more complicated than it seems, but I don't think it's possible for us to do our own thing freely when there are so much secrecy and so many limitations," she mumbled sadly, her fingertip running circles around the edge of her glass of water.

"Yea, I guess we can't really do it directly after all," replied the blond, soundly sucking in a few noodles and then moaning in pleasure. "Kakashi-sensei won't let us butt in, that's for sure. So, unless we know a clan's head who is free enough to help us… The only one I can think of is Shikamaru, but he already has a lot of stuff to take care of, so I don't wanna make him do it even if he volunteers. Would be unfair of us, really." He sighed, taking another portion of hot ramen into his mouth.

The kunoichi remained silent for a while, but then her eyes slowly widened and she turned her head to look at Naruto who, having noticed her unusually excited stare, almost choked and quickly swallowed the food before asking,

"Eh, are you alright, Sakura-chan? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Her mouth slowly curved into a cunning smile.

"I think I know who can help us."

"Huh?" He blinked, and his brow arched in a silent question.

"Well, I mean... Technically, Sasuke-kun is still his clan's head, isn't he?"

The azure eyes of the jinchūriki slowly widened as well, and then he smirked jovially too.

Apparently, the time for another reunion of Team Seven has finally come!

 **-~X~-  
**

"Gah! Ugh..."

The two blades clinched, a bright sheaf of sparks making one of the two fighting shinobi back off a little. However, it only took him a split second before he turned gracefully around himself, and landed another few blows, his giant sword cutting through the air with a wild howling sound.

"Gotcha!" The almost blinding smile of the triangle-shaped teeth indicated the triumph of victory, but then he frowned the next moment, when his blade passed through the dark figure of his vis-a-vis, making it disappear the same second. "Hey, Sasuke! That's not fair, we've agreed not to use ninjutsu!"

"That wasn't ninjutsu," came the impassive voice from below, making the swordsman lower his head and look crossly at the Uchiha who was sitting at the huge tree's roots and unpacking his meal.

"Well, I thought genjutsu was obviously excluded as well!" He jumped down, landing next to his partner and coming close to him.

"Yeah, you _thought_ it was," deadpanned Sasuke, taking a bit of his favourite onigiri.

"Still not fair. We were supposed to improve our skills in kenjutsu, it wasn't just a spar for the sake of one of us winning!"

"You're beginning to sound like my old sensei." The raven-haired shinobi closed his eyes, enjoying that taste of long-awaited food — he hadn't eaten anything today yet.

"Yep, except your old sensei is enjoying his warm and comfy seat back in Konoha while we, on the other hand, are busy raiding other dimensions like there's no tomorrow," the other ninja sighed, grabbing his cardboard beaker and taking a sip through the straw.

"To each their own," replied the Uchiha neutrally, staring thoughtfully at the horizon.

"Not quite sure if that's my thing, but oh well... It's better than nothing, I suppose. Especially if you'll be noble enough to fulfil your promise, and I'll be granted a place in your village when we're finished."

Sasuke didn't reply. Of course, he had indeed promised him to speak with Kakashi on his behalf so that he would be allowed to join Konoha's lines when their work would be finished, but... Frankly, after everything the Uchiha himself had done, he wasn't sure if there was a place in the village even just for him alone. Let alone someone like his current partner who was just a thug by their standards.

"Hey, what's that over there? I think it's flying toward us."

He raised his had and squinted at the clean sunny sky, instantly spotting the bird at which the other shinobi was pointing. There was a tiny scroll adjusted to its leg, and it was clearly approaching them quickly...

Confirming their suspicion, it then landed right on Sasuke's knee, chirping loudly and staring boldly right into his only visible onyx-black eye.

"Oh? Now, what's that, a love letter?" The cheesy grin resembling that of a shark made the Uchiha wince a bit as he was unwrapping the scroll. "Times change, but you don't, haha! Still that same pimp, eh... You bastard."

Instead of replying to him, Sasuke only frowned as he looked at the letter's contents.

"This is—" Of course, he would always recognize Naruto's handwriting.

 _Sasuke!_  
 _Return to the village asap!_  
 _Something bad has happened.  
We need your help!_

"So? What is it, man?" Asked the other shinobi, still lazily sipping his drink, but now looking quite curious as he noticed the rare conflicted expression on the Uchiha's face.

"We're going to Konoha," he finally replied before getting up and quickly packing up the remains of his meal.

"Konoha, huh? Why there all of a sudden?"

"I don't know, but Naruto wouldn't summon me for no reason, so it must be something serious. My left eye's powers haven't returned yet, so it's going to be a long walk. Let's make haste."


End file.
